Ephemeral
by Hikari no Sadame
Summary: "It had been years since she last saw him and she wonders if this is what he looks like now. Different. She tries to remind herself that it isn't Jellal, but she keeps slipping up and for a moment, it is Jellal." collab with wolfy


_**A/N: collab between Wolfy and me…more author ramblings at the end. breaks are shifts in POV. Enjoy~**_

* * *

_Ephemeral_

On trial for destruction of public property, disruption of community, and the uptake of inappropriately exorbitant amounts of alcohol while the sun was still up. Again. In fact, the seventh time this month.

And it was only December 4th, she might add.

God, how many times had she passed the same damn trees, the same damn shops, walked down the same damn weathered roads and stopped in front of the same damn building this past week? She knew her guild didn't have the _best_ reputation among the Council members but seven times in four days? That's a record.

Erza's tired eyes lazily glazed over the familiar surroundings, once again stuck in a place she wishes she weren't so familiar with. The grossly pale wall paint, the clichéd imitation of Greek architecture, and the smell of old, ignorant fools brought out a pained sigh from her.

She went through the rehearsed apology once more in her head and closed her eyes after neatly tucking a strand of scarlet hair into her bun.

_Hello, Your Honors, I am here as a representative of Fairy Tail and to express their deepest regrets for burning the town house down, exceeding the maximum amplitude of 200 decibels, and drinking 30 barrels of beer in broad daylight._

_Yes, the town has our condolences and we will most certainly prevent such blasphemous things from occurring again in the future._

_No, we really mean it this time, and yes, I know you had our word last time and yet we failed to keep our promise, but this time is different, I promise. I will personally see it through._

Bullshit. It was going to happen again. Fairy Tail was going to get itself into some outrageously troubling situation, and the Council members knew it themselves. This whole thing- this whole formality was completely pointless. Instead of enjoying her Saturday at that new pastry shop that opened up near Fairy Hills, she had to waste her afternoon mechanically apologizing to a lump of dumb potatoes about to expire.

As she opened her eyes to reach for the door, Erza caught a flicker of azure blue from the corner of her eyes. Frozen, and perhaps afraid of following the trail, she stood there motionlessly.

"_It couldn't be…"_

* * *

He adjusted his collar, pulling it open just a tad bit wider and letting out a loud sigh as the stiff material encircling his neck loosened. Glancing down at the papers in his hand, an amused smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

_Fairy Tail._

Hadn't they just come in the other day?

He distinctly remembered Master Makarov appearing in court in person to offer his most sincere apologies for his "children's" actions.

Dark eyes scanned the documents quickly. Destruction of public property, disruption of community and inappropriate behavior following the consumption of 30 barrels of alcohol. A small laugh slipped through his lips. These fairies were certainly an interesting bunch. They were no doubt troublemakers in the eyes of the Magic Council, but none could deny the power the guild possessed in the form of a handful of talented mages. Their names were familiar to everyone in Fiore.

Gildarts, Mystogan, Laxus.

_Erza Scarlet._

Of course. She was a part of that guild.

He hadn't seen her in years but he had heard of her meteoric rise within the magic world. It was inevitable of course. She was a beautiful woman possessing a rare form of Caster Magic and with her talents and skills, she had managed to become an S-class mage at the young age of 17.

Yes.

The smirk on his face widened.

She was indeed worthy of the honor he would bestow upon her in good time.

His eyes flickered over to his companion. Ultear returned the gesture, a coy smile gracing her face. She did not speak but Jellal knew, he could feel from her comforting presence alone, that she understood his plans for Erza. It struck him as odd that she understood him so well. It was almost as if she could read his mind.

He glanced at his watch. They still had a few minutes to spare.

Jellal arched an eyebrow, eyes sparkling with mirth as he pushed the beautiful raven around the corner into an unoccupied hallway, or so he thought.

A soft clink of metal caused his head to snap up and he was greeted by a familiar sight.

He would never forget that distinct crimson color. He had, after all, named her after it.

Her name escaped his lips before he could contain himself and the sound reverberated along the silent hallway like thunder.

_"Erza…"_

* * *

She blinked once.

Twice.

And the third time, the redhead kept her eyes shut a bit longer, silently praying that she was becoming delusional, inhaling deeply and exhaling calmly through her mouth.

She opened them once more.

_Damn it, they were still here. _

Unfortunately, seeing Jellal's face mere centimeters away from that of an unknown woman in the middle of the council hall for god's sake, why didn't they get a room or something, wasn't just a manifestation of her overwhelming stress these days. And that kinda upset her.

Erza wishes she were hallucinating, simply imagining things that weren't actually happening. But she wasn't. He was right before her, so close to her- yet even closer to the mysterious raven haired girl.

A rush of conflicting emotions surged through her as she confirmed the sight in front of her. That unmistakably electric blue hair and deep red scar characteristic of a man she knew all too well.

The hazel eyes that seemed to devour her entirely with just one look pierced through her cautious exterior.

She had heard about a Council member whose features sounded very similar to those of the boy she once loved, but she didn't think they'd resemble each other so much. Letting out a labored sigh, Erza felt her stomach flip at the sight of him. She knew the man before her wasn't really Jellal, but she just couldn't help herself from thinking it- from longing it.

_It had been years since she last saw him and she wonders if this is what he looks like now. _

_D__ifferent__._

_She tries to remind herself that it isn't Jellal, but she keeps slipping up, and for a moment, it is Jellal._

His hair had grown out, his shoulders became broader, his features more defined, his hands rougher. He was taller, probably tall enough to completely tower over her. The boy she once loved transformed into a strong and well-built man. He looked darker, _more cynical_.

His posture showed nonchalance yet a hint of arrogance. Standing there with one hand placed casually in his pocket, he managed to encase the girl securely between himself and the wall. Erza avoided clenching her fists when she noticed the proximity between his lips and her neck.

There was a certain air of hidden audacity he carried. His old boyish and cheeky grin vanished, turning into the sardonic smirk of a man who knew the cruelty of the world and even took a part in it himself.

_He changed._

And she didn't like it one bit.

He stared back at her, a look of awe flashed across his face, disappearing a second later. But that flash of innocence was enough to give her a mind hopeful of the sweet boy she used to know returning. It was all she needed to reassure herself that maybe Jellal was the same guy after all, that maybe, just maybe, _he_ was still there.

Her attempt at keeping a steady respiration rate was interrupted by a sharp exhale and a tightening in her chest when she saw a sneer grace his face. And the spell broke, the illusion shattered. This was Siegrain, the man who had the power to do stop his brother, yet stood by, doing absolutely nothing. And she hated him for that. Through clenched teeth, voice full of animosity mixed with a hint of fear, she spat harshly,

"_What are you doing here?_"

* * *

The way she kept blinking was confirmation that it was indeed the Erza he knew. She had certainly grown into a beautiful woman, with crimson tresses cascading down her shoulders in waves, her body now fully developed with an ample bosom and full curves. But it was obvious she hadn't learnt anything from their last encounter.

She still retained the same wide-eyed, innocent look, stemming from a childlike naivety. She still possessed the same hopeful expression because she believed that there was good in everyone, that the world was a beautiful place.

A mocking sneer curled at his lips, his hands balling into fists as he pulled away from Ultear. He could feel the raven's amused gaze flickering between him and Erza but he ignored it. This was much more than a game to him. Seeing Erza reminded him of the stakes, and this also set off a chain of emotions within him.

To see the same look in her eyes pissed him off. Had she not learnt anything for the past eight years? To possess such unshakable faith in the world was admirable but also just pure stupidity. The two of them may have escaped their pasts as slaves but instead of being slaves to other humans, they were now slaves to the world's farcical representations of 'freedom'. There was no true freedom in this world, not until Zeref was revived. Only when the Dark Mage was revived could they truly achieve paradise. Why was it such a difficult concept for her to understand, to accept? Could she not see the perfection in his ideals?

His sneer turned into a more feral snarl and his eyes darkened at her unwavering gaze. It was obvious she still harbored hopes of 'saving' him. What foolishness. To even _think_ that he needed saving, that was insulting. It was not he who needed salvation. It was everyone else. And he could save her. He could save them all from this damnation.

"_What are you doing here?"_

An easy smirk graced his face but his eyes were hard. He was no longer the boy from back then. That boy had long since died. Jellal couldn't afford to act on petty whims any longer. He had to look at the bigger picture.

The animosity was clear in her tone, but that did little to cover the faintest of tremors in her voice. Inwardly, his heart did a flip. He had always known that she hated him for his supposed failure to stop his 'twin', but to think that she feared him as well?

His features smoothed over as his arrogant mask slipped into place. Fear was a wonderful emotion. It was so susceptible to manipulation and exploitation, and those two things just happened to be something he was particularly adept at.

"Come now, Erza," he took a few steps forward, "you know I'm a Council member. I have to attend these court trials." He shot her a wolfish grin. "I'm hurt really. You almost sound like you don't want to see me."

Despite his easy-going demeanor, the tension in the air was palpable. Erza's body was tense, coiled like a spring, and he grinned. This was almost too easy.

"Relax, this is just my thought projection. My real body is far, far away at Era."

His hand went up to cup her chin, his thumb brushing lightly against her lower lip. The skin was smooth against his feathery touch and he leaned in so close that their lips were almost touching. She refused to look at him, choosing to stare straight over his shoulder, eyes defiant, but he could still hear her breathing speed up ever so slightly.

His voice was low to ensure that only Erza could hear him.

"_Never tell the old geezers about 'that'. It's for our own good."_

Erza remained stoic but Jellal could tell from the slight stiffening in her shoulders that it was all an act.

"Well, I'll see you around then," he said casually with arms widespread. "_Erza_."

He turned and left with Ultear by his side, leaving the redhead staring at their retreating backs.

Somewhere in a dark room in a gigantic tower, a hooded figure moved a small chess piece to another square on the chessboard and grinned broadly.

"_Let's play."_

* * *

_**A/N: Okay so this was supposed to be like a retelling of the first time Erza sees Jellal as Seigrain at the very beginning of the series. this was originally on tumblr I think but we combined the two parts and made it into a fic lol. Wolfy did Jellal and I did Erza…you can prob tell from the differences in style aka hers is so nice and stuff. ANYWAY. I felt incredibly guilty for not updating when I told you I would (compulsive liar here) so this is a way to make it up :P**_

_**ALSO wolfy and I are going to continue always is forever so you can check that out on her profile.**_

_**I'll update soon…I hope. Review please!**_

_**-Hikari**_


End file.
